Police in northwestern Nigeria are investigating the killing of cleric Sheikh Yahaya Ibrahim Masussuka and Adamu Abubakar, while an Ansaru claim reported by Premium Times gives a later attack time.
The State House said the men were killed in Dutsin-Ma, Katsina State, on Monday, Oct. 26. The Katsina State Police Command placed the shooting at about 2:30 p.m. EDT (18:30 UTC). Police said the attackers rode a motorcycle and fired outside Masussuka’s home. The two men were taken to hospital and pronounced dead, and the command said an investigation was underway.
Premium Times said a four-minute video it obtained Tuesday carried Ansaru’s claim of responsibility and put the attack at about 3:30 p.m. EDT (19:30 UTC). The outlet reported that the group cited Masussuka’s advocacy for peaceful coexistence among people of different faiths.
The Whistler also reported an Ansaru claim, describing the recording as an audio message and saying its speaker referred to Tuesday as the day of the attack. That differs from the Monday date given by the State House and police. Neither police nor the State House named Ansaru as responsible. The recording’s authenticity and precise wording are unverified, and reports differ on its format.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu directed police and other security agencies to intensify efforts to find those responsible, the State House said.
